Monitor Time Machine backups for multiple users

Question

Level 1

0 points

Monitor Time Machine backups for multiple users

Hello,

I work in a laboratory and many of us have MacBooks and use Time Machine to backup our data to a single 3TB Time Capsule device. I would like to monitor backups so that I know exactly when everyone else in the lab has backed up their data.

I have tried using "Connect to Server..." from the "Go" menu to connect to the time machine, and viewing when everyone's backup file was modified. This has started displaying funky dates which are not possibly correct (they vary widely from the year 1969 to 2104), and also change every time I reconnect to the server. I have restarted my computer and the 3TB Time Capsule to try and reset the problem with no luck.

Is there another way to monitor other people's backups on a single Time Capsule device from my computer?

Thanks!

Posted on Aug 3, 2015 10:18 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Aug 3, 2015 2:55 PM in response to kdegolier

Your date problem suggests the TC itself is having issues ..

I presume everyone is running Yosemite??

If just looking at the dates gives you such weird answers I don't see how any other software is going to be able to work..

Although there are apps available to check what TM is doing.. I am pretty sure it won't work across backups from other people.

If you actually mount the sparsebundle in your computer and drill down to the backups.backupdb does it show the correct date??

If not I suggest you have some other issue.. check that the TC itself is getting the correct date.

Apple removed all the useful information from the airport utility in the Mac.. it is now almost devoid of anything but basic setup and the very most basic monitoring..

But to extract info for their own use (which you are updating to apple without your knowledge!!) .. in an ipad running airport utility for iOS there is a fair bit of useful info. I would at least check it out if you can access it.

Otherwise let me suggest Carbon Copy Cloner or Chronosync as perhaps better utilities in a business setup.. remember TM and TC are really home equipment and backup utilities..

Reply